Sunday 16 December 2012

IRMIN SCHMIDT & INNER SPACE PRODUCTION - KAMASUTRA



















Crippled Dick Hot Wax! 2009 (Recorded 1968)

01. Indisches Panorama I
02. I'm Hiding My Nightingale
03. There Was A Man
04. Im Tempel
05. In Kalkutta III
06. Indisches Panorama II
07. In Kalkutta I
08. Im Orient
09. Indisches Panorama III
10. Mundharmonika Beat
11. Indisches Panorama IV
12. Indisches Panorama V
13. Indisches Panorama VI
14. Indische Liebesszene
15. In Kalkutta II
16. Im Orient II


Another obscure German soundtrack, another example of early Can in the recording studio. This time, to soundtrack Kobi Jaeger's 'Kamasutra'. Again, only a solitary single was released at the time ('Kamasutra'/'I'm Hiding My Nightingale') while the soundtrack album remained unreleased until 2009.

Less Can sounding than 'Agilok & Blubbo', a lot of the music here is short Irmin Schmidt instrumentals. It's good stuff though, very Eastern, tons of flute.

Things get jammy on 'Im Tempel', over ten minutes of sitar driven krautrock, and a lot of the other songs have a sixties, folky feel.

Malcolm Mooney makes his debut  with the group on an early version of 'A Man Named Joe' ('There Was A Man'), elsewhere guest vocals on 'I'm Hiding My Nightingale' are handled by Margareta Juvan.

Addicted to Can? You need this.

PETE FINE - ON A DAY OF CRYSTALINE THOUGHT




















Private Press 1974

01. Revelation/Prelude/For Sam
02. Meditations
03. Looking Ahead
04. Sunrise
05. Life
06. Moo
07. Bijinkies
08. Rita

Pete Fine was the guitarist in heavy psychedelic rock band The Flow when he envisioned a semi classical, psych concept album. In 1974, after the break up of his band, he would make it.

Originally a private press release of 100 copies, "On a Day of Crystaline Thought" is a unique record of wonderful ambition. The first side is essentially a concept suite, passing through movements with 12 string guitar, timpanis, string sections and beautiful harmonies.

"All beings are universes eternal and thought never dies but forms a vast kingdom of one."

So goes the refrain of side 1. Right on.

Side 2 has a more psychedelic feel, with acid folk and hippie folk thrown in the mix.

It's a real shame this record isn't more well  known. It did have an extremely limited C.D. issue on the Shadoks label in 2000 but still remains relatively obscure.

Lofty conceptual lyrics about reality and the universe, choral vocals, an acid folk vibe, 12 string and huge scope and sound. A must!



DOM - EDGE OF TIME





















01. Introitus
02. Silence
03. Edge Of Time
04. Dream


Originally released privately, this album has has many reissues; Melochord in 1972, a limited c.d. issue on Witch & Warlock in 1991 and Second Battle added some bonus tracks to a remastered c.d. and vinyl in 2001.

The group originated in Dusseldorf in 1969 and recorded their only album at Neubauer Studios the following year. 

"Edge Of Time" is one of the greatest forgotten Krautrock albums, a long dark trip into the cosmic ether. Part electronic, part folk and largely instrumental, a kind of kosmiche meditation. The lead instruments (Organ, acoustic guitar, electronics) take turns repeating melodies, building patterns for additional sounds (flute, voices, drones). Heavy.

Think 68-69 Floyd and early Tangerine Dream meet early Six Organs Of Admittance, drop acid and record the results.

This album is real deep and dense. A near perfect dark, heavy trip.